title: Dynamic Notch signaling in neural progenitor cells and a revised view of lateral inhibition.
abstract: In the developing mammalian nervous system, neural progenitor cells first express the Notch effector Hes1 at variable levels and then proneural genes and Notch ligands in salt-and-pepper patterns. Recent real-time imaging analysis indicates that Hes1 expression in these cells oscillates with a period of about 2-3 h. Furthermore, the proneural gene Neurogenin-2 (Ngn2) and the Notch ligand gene Deltalike-1 (Dll1) are expressed cyclically in neural progenitor cells under the control of Hes1 oscillation but are expressed continuously in postmitotic neurons, which lose Hes1 expression. Hes1-driven Ngn2 and Dll1 oscillations seem to be advantageous for maintenance of a group of cells in an undifferentiated state by mutual activation of Notch signaling. This dynamic mode of gene expression would require a revision of the traditional view of how Notch-mediated lateral inhibition operates in the developing mammalian nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University and Japan Science and Technology Agency, CREST, Shogoin-Kawahara, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoichiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kageyama
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimojo
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Imayoshi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D017711:Nonlinear Dynamics; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051880:Receptors, Notch